Crochet granny square patterns have a special way of blending nostalgia and creativity. In this complete guide to grannies, I’ve pulled together some of the most interesting ones I’ve come across. Plus, you’ll learn my top tips for crocheting your best squares.
Granny Square Patterns for Beginners
The traditional granny square is a perfect beginner project—especially a solid square, which is the simplest to make.
Because each cluster of double crochet is worked into a space in the previous round, it’s an extremely easy pattern to memorize and doesn’t require much counting or close attention.
If you’re just learning how to crochet, you can still experiment with many of the unique granny squares below.
Free Crochet Granny Square Patterns
The following is a collection of my favorite squares. From beginner-friendly blocks to more playful styles, I hope you find one that inspires your next project!
Make & Do Crew Tutorials
We love a good motif around here. These tutorials will guide you through each round step-by-step.
Daisy Flower Square
Puff Stitch Sunburst Square
Easy Patterns for Beginners
If you’re just learning how to crochet, the following simple patterns are a great place to start. Each uses easy skills like double crochet (dc) and slip stitching (sl st) to create unique designs.
Mitered Square
Rainbow Puff Granny Square
Primrose Flower
Solid Two Color Squares
Granny Square Triangle
Sunburst Granny Squares
The sunburst granny is a classic in its own right. Use specific colors for the center and “petals” to create a floral look. Or simply grab your favorite scraps and make beautiful squares filled with texture and charm.
Sunburst Granny Stitch Heart
Sunflower Granny Squares
Create a garden of sunflowers using yellow scrap yarn that you have lying around. The sunflower is a symbol of loyalty, adoration, and longevity, so it makes a wonderful gift for loved ones and friends.
Sunflower Appliqué
Sunflower Square
Fun + Unique Granny Squares
Looking for something different? You’ll love these unusual granny patterns that feature everything from cupcakes to pizza to peacock feathers.
Strawberry Square
Granny Square Cupcake
Crochet Pear Block
Peacock Feather Square
Textured Round Square
Pizza Square
Fruit Blocks
Little Lamb Blanket Block
Bunny Motif
Puff + Popcorn Stitch Squares
Add texture and extra squish to your grannies with puff stitches and popcorn stitches.
Puff Stitch Circle Granny Square
Textured Block
Modern Designs
Modern granny square patterns are the gentle blend of a classic technique with a contemporary twist.
Lunar Halo
Sun and Star Pattern
Star Cross Square
Fancy Grannies
Would you like to take your designs to the next level? Once you’ve mastered the basic square, these unique patterns will help you expand your crochet skills.
Two Color Swirl Square
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Easy Lace Granny Square
Iris Stitch Continuous Rounds Square
Fancy Hexagon Pattern
Floral Squares
Use several of these flower granny square patterns to create your own handmade garden! Choose between peonies, roses, and vintage fall designs based on the vibe you’re going for.
Colorful Floral Block
Peony Flower
Vintage Granny Square
Flowers for Fall
Flower Square
Daisy Square Pattern
Hexagon Granny Square
These are one of the most fun and versatile patterns, in my opinion. You can’t go wrong with a granny hexagon, whether it’s classic, geometric, or modern. Transform your scrap yarn into afghans, pillows, and my personal favorite, hexagon afghans.
Basic Solid Hexagon
Classic Granny Hexagon
Easy Granny Hexagon
What to Do With All Those Squares!
Part of the reason you’ll find so many projects made with granny squares is that they’re a super versatile motif!
You can use your squares to crochet bags, sweaters, blankets, cardigans, bucket hats, and so much more. You can even use the granny stitch to crochet a hexagon cardigan.
What’s the Best Yarn to Use?
If you’re following a pattern using granny squares, you’ll want to use the same yarn weight as listed in the pattern.
I find that I get the best results using worsted-weight yarn, but you can also use DK or sport-weight yarn for more delicate stitches.
Choosing a bulky or super bulky weight yarn will make your squares larger and is best used for a big granny square blanket or similar large-scale pattern.
TIP: If you’d like to make a multi-color project without buying a lot of yarn, try using a self-striping yarn like Lion Brand Mandala and crocheting several squares with each color contained in the skein (pictured below).
Related: How to Shop Your Stash: The Best Patterns for Using the Yarn You Have
How to Join Squares
Granny squares can be joined together with an invisible seam using a tapestry needle and a stitch like the mattress stitch.
READ: How to Join Crochet with Invisible Seam
If you like to avoid seaming at all costs, you should definitely try joining granny squares as you go. This technique avoids sewing and instead allows you to crochet your squares together.
Blocking Your Grannies
If your squares are crooked or wonky, simply blocking them can do wonders to straighten them out. Pin them to a blocking board or other piece of foam, spritz with some steam from an iron and leave them to set overnight.
How Long Does a Granny Square Take?
Granny squares can be really satisfying projects because they often only take 15-30 minutes to finish a complete square. Of course, it depends on the size you’re crocheting and your skill level.
You will likely get faster at any design after you’ve made a few of them.
How to Add a Border
Adding a border around your square can be as simple as placing one single or double crochet in each stitch and three in each corner. Reverse single crochet is also one of my favorite minimalist borders.
How Many Squares Do You Need For a Blanket?
The number of grannies needed to crochet a blanket depends on both the size of your squares and the size of the blanket you want. Divide your desired blanket width by the width of your granny square to get an idea of how many you need. (Same goes for the height.)
Example:
– Size of granny squares: 5×5″
– Desired blanket size: 40×50″
– Width = 40″ ÷ 5″ = 8 squares
– Height = 50″ ÷ 5″ = 10 squares
– Total squares needed = 8 x 10 = 80
Crochet Hook Size
The best hook size will depend on the yarn you’re using and how tight you want your stitches to be.
For crocheting granny square sweaters, you can generally use one to two sizes up from the hook suggested on the yarn label. For bags or purses, use one to two hook sizes smaller than what’s listed on your yarn label.
In any case, be sure to check your gauge if following a specific pattern!
Granny Squares vs. Granny Stitch
The granny stitch uses sets of three double crochets that are worked into the cluster spaces in the row below.
Granny squares are a type of motif that often use the granny stitch.
They can look very similar, but a granny squares are always square and worked in the round. Whereas the granny stitch can also be worked in turned rows to make a variety of shapes.
How Many Rounds is a Basic Granny Square?
Most grannies are worked in four to five rounds. You can make them bigger by increasing your hook size or yarn gauge, or by adding more rounds.
Invitation to our Facebook group
Come discuss unique granny squares and lots of other crochet projects and techniques in our Make & Do Crew Facebook group. Here thousands of helpful crocheters answer each others questions and share their stitches. Join us!
That was so fun! Now what?
More Crochet Techniques and Tutorials
Do you love learning new crochet skills as much as I do? If you found this guide to granny squares useful, I think you’ll love these in-depth guides too.
more free crochet techniques and tutorials →
Laura says
Many thanks for such a complete introduction to granny squares! I found several I had not seen before!
Trish says
Thank you very much for this session about Granny Squares. You have put a lot of effort into this in order to come up with such a variety of granny ‘squares’ . I appreciate the inclusion of circles, triangles and hexagons as well as the bicolour squares that were put together to form a heart. I could see this being made into a blanket, or to start off, a pillow. {best to start small and complete it 🙂 rather than feel it turn into a job 🙁 }
I also want to thank you for including joining instructions and edgings…everything is here in one complete package!
Now all I have to do is to decide on size and colour, type of ‘square’ and raid my yarn stash. The long dark days will soon be here and that’s when all I want to do is curl up in my chair and play with yarn.
Thank you for the inspiration you have given me.